


Moonlit Crossroads

by Alshoruzen



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-01-16 17:52:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18526597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alshoruzen/pseuds/Alshoruzen
Summary: They always met under the strangest circumstances. They might have called it fate, but Kaito hadn't had a good word to say about fate in centuries and Shinichi never believed in such things to begin with. KaiShin





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.
> 
> Pairing: KaitoxShinichi
> 
> Rating: Eventual M
> 
> Genre: Romance/Supernatural

The first time they met, Shinichi was only six. Kaito didn't know how old he was. He had stopped counting the years after the first century or so. There really was no point keeping track of your age when you were immortal. It was more depressing than interesting.

Well, it wasn't actually much of a meeting. Kaito had recently moved from France to Japan. It wasn't the first time he had lived in the island country, but it had been a while since he had last been there. He had found himself a nice apartment in one of Tokyo's many high-rises and done a little arranging to enroll himself in a local college. It would be fun to be a student again at least for a few years. That evening, he had been out taking a walk after moving into his new abode and ended up at Beika Park.

That was where he had seen the small, black-haired boy juggling a soccer ball by himself on the park's grassy field. It was an odd sight for several reasons, the first and foremost being the late hour. The sky was already gray, and it would be dark soon, but the boy was still out with no parents in sight. Nor were there any other children with him, although there were a few over by the swings, preparing to follow their mothers and fathers back home.

Kaito's gaze lingered on those happy families, feeling caught between nostalgic and wistful. He still remembered his own parents well even though it had been centuries since he had seen them. It was for their sake that he had opened the proverbial Pandora's Box.

He had been nineteen and just beginning his career as a stage magician alongside of his father when a madman had kidnapped his mother and demanded that his father hand over something he had referred to only as Pandora. That was when Kaito had learned that his father had been guarding a magical gemstone purported to have the power to grant wishes.

"They say it was given to mankind by God to be a symbol of hope a long, long time ago when it bore a different name," his father had told him. "It was said that, one day, when the world faced destruction, mankind would be able to save this world with the power it offers. However, if someone with selfish intentions ever makes a wish upon the stone, that wish will be the last for the jewel will lose its power."

Knowing that they could not afford to hand the jewel over to the madman, Kaito and his father had devised a plan to rescue his mother while pretending to acquires to the madman's terms. However, things had not unfolded as they had planned.

To make a rather long and convoluted story short, it had come down to a choice. Destroy the stone or watch as the madman usurped its powers. It hadn't been much of a choice.

Kaito hadn't realized at first that destroying Pandora had landed him with a curse. In retrospect though, he supposed it wasn't surprising. After all, if the stories were true, then he had destroyed something that had been meant to be the hope of the future. Now he had to watch the future that could no longer be rescued with Pandora's wish as it unfolded, come good or ill.

He had been twenty one when it all ended, and twenty one he stayed.

His mother had cried when they had finally figured it out, but Kaito himself had no regrets. He had done what he had believed was the right thing at the time, and he had gotten to spend another half century with his parents before old age took them from him. Even so, he couldn't help but miss them at times like these, and, for a few moments, he would feel the weight of the loneliness that came with being an immortal walking amidst mortals.

When he had come back out of his thoughts, he noticed that only the little boy with the soccer ball was still in the park. Said boy too, however, appeared to have decided that it was time to go home. But with night already fallen, Kaito had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on the child and make sure he got home safely. After all, the night was a dangerous time for such young children to be out by themselves, and he had to wonder what kind of parents would allow their son to wander around unsupervised at such an hour.

It took less than a block for Kaito to notice that someone else was also following the boy. It was two shady looking men with their faces hidden.

When the little boy stopped at a street corner to wait for the light to change, Kaito crept up behind the two men where they hid in an alley mouth to see one of them pulling out a phone. He showed the picture on the screen to his compatriot. Kaito peered closely at the picture too. It showed a pretty young woman with brown curls and a bespectacled man with a child—the same child with the soccer ball tucked under his arm—sitting between them. He realized with a start that he recognized the woman. Her name was Yukiko, he recalled. She was a famous actress, but she had retired a few years ago after getting married. That must mean the boy was her son.

"It's gotta be him," the man muttered.

The other grunted in agreement. "I'll bring the car around to the next corner. You be ready to grab 'im."

So the two were kidnappers. Kaito would have snorted if he weren't hiding. That figured. It didn't matter what time period you were in. There would always be a rotten bastard or three waiting in the wings to take advantage of the innocent for their own gains.

It was men just like these who had forced him to give up what could have been a normal life.

He was not going to let them do as they pleased.

The man who had volunteered to get the car turned around, took three steps into the alley, and promptly collapsed upon receiving a face full of sleeping gas.

The second man, hearing the thump of his companion's body hitting the ground, turned around in confusion. He spotted the body on the ground and gaped.

"What the—"

A hand fisted in the front of his shirt. The next thing the man knew, he had been pinned against the alley wall. He choked, eyes going wide partly from the pressure against his throat and partly from the shock of seeing a young man barely out of his teens at the other end of the iron grip on him. The kid was young enough to be his son, but he was somehow managing to hold the much older man off the ground and against the wall by the collar with only one arm and no sign of effort.

"You look confused," the smiling young man said pleasantly. The calm politeness of his voice made the kidnapper's hair stand on end. "So let me explain what's happening. You see that boy you were just following?"

The man's eyes widened.

Kaito nodded, still smiling. "Well, I'm looking after him."

The man's face drained of all color.

"Right," Kaito agreed like the man had spoken out loud. "But since this is your first offense, I've decided I'll let you off with a warning. But don't get too comfortable." And suddenly the smile vanished to be replaced by a pair of indigo eyes that burned with icy inner fires. "If I ever see you or your friend even thinking about kidnapping anyone again, you'll wish the police had caught you first."

The man promptly passed out. Though whether this had been from fright or from the lack of oxygen caused by Kaito's grip around his neck was not entirely clear. Kaito was happy enough to let the man drop to the ground next to his coconspirator.

Then he dusted off his hands, congratulating himself on a job well done. These two definitely weren't the brave or intelligent sort. They wouldn't make another attempt.

Now in a very good mood, Kaito had turned to leave the alley—and looked straight into a pair of shocked blue eyes.

The six year old boy they had been following was standing just outside the alley mouth, looking at them with his soccer ball still tucked under his arm. How much he had seen was anyone's guess, but at least he wasn't looking at Kaito like he was planning to call the cops.

When the boy continued to just stare in silence, Kaito took it upon himself to break the ice. "Hey there, sorry you had to see that. But you really should be more careful about walking through the streets alone after dark. Especially when your mom's a famous actress. These two were planning to kidnap you."

"That's what I thought too when I noticed them following me," the boy admitted, surprising Kaito. "But who are you?"

"Just a good Samaritan who hates seeing little kids get hurt," Kaito replied, smiling in genuine amusement this time. "You won't have to worry about these guys anymore, but I still think you should get your parents to come pick you up next time you want to stay out late."

"I can get home on my own just fine," the boy pouted, sounding grumpy. If Kaito was any judge, this wasn't the first time the boy had had this conversation. Good. That meant the kid's parents weren't completely incompetent.

"Well, you better run along home then, kid."

"Kudo Shinichi," the boy said. "I have a name."

Now, Kaito laughed. "Indeed you do. And so do I. Kuroba Kaito, at your service. But if you'll excuse me now, I really have to go. I haven't had my dinner yet because I was taking care of your stalker problem."

"Oh." The boy actually looked embarrassed. "Um, thank you…"

"No problem." The kid really was rather cute. He carried himself well and spoke so properly. Nothing at all like how Kaito had always thought children were like—loud, messy, demanding, and unreasonable. So maybe there was hope for the future after all.

Chuckling to himself at that thought, he patted the boy on the head as he walked out of the alley. "See you around then, Shin-chan. Remember, no more late night strolls alone."

He hadn't bothered to turn and look at the boy, or he might have seen the curiosity and interest that had kindled in those bright blue eyes. But at the time he had assumed he would never see Shinichi again. Therefore, his thoughts had already moved on to what he should get for dinner.

Not that he really needed to eat. Though he could feel hunger, it wasn't human food his body craved. That was the other thing that it had taken time to get used to.

He hadn't believed in vampires before Pandora's curse. Actually, he supposed he still didn't believe in them. As far as he knew, he was the only one in the world, and he knew for a fact that he wasn't some undead monster who would wither away under the sun. Strictly speaking, he didn't have to drink blood to survive. Being immortal meant food of any kind was sort of optional. But whatever it was the curse had done to his makeup, he still felt hunger, and the only substance that could truly sate that hunger was the blood of the living.

It was a little irritating, but he had gotten used to it as he had with so many other things.

The thing about life was that, the longer it was, the more complicated it became.

-0-

The second time they met, Shinichi was fourteen. They had both been at a local coffee shop, although Kaito had come for the place's famous chocolate cake and Shinichi had come for the coffee.

The chocolate cake had been every bit as scrumptious as he'd heard, and so Kaito had been rather preoccupied with savoring it until someone on the other side of the coffee shop had dropped dead. Literally.

The guy had just slumped sideways out of his chair, and the woman sitting with him had, quite naturally, screamed.

The police had been called, and no one was allowed to leave.

That was when Kaito had noticed Shinichi. The boy was walking around, examining things and talking to the staff and other patrons. It had taken Kaito a moment to recognize him, but those pretty blue eyes were unmistakable, as was that funny little cowlick.

Then the boy was walking up to him, and Kaito smiled.

He could see the moment Shinichi's eyes widened in shocked recognition right after he gave his name. He could also see the confusion and the thought that no, this couldn't possibly be the same man he had met so long ago because, well, it had been years yet Kaito hadn't changed at all.

Unable to resist, Kaito said, "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Shinichi started at the question, and Kaito could see all the things he wanted to ask piling up behind his eyes, but the police had chosen that moment to arrive. Kaito watched as Shinichi explained the case to the police and pointed out the suspects. Less than an hour later, one of the waiters was being marched away in cuffs. It turned out the dead man had broken his sister's heart, and the girl had committed suicide.

Kaito finished his cake. He was considering ordering a coffee when Shinichi approached his table again, hesitant but clearly curious.

"Have a seat," Kaito invited, gesturing at the chair across from him.

The boy hesitated only a moment before doing so.

"The police seem to know you well," he remarked when the boy didn't immediately say anything.

"My dad used to consult with them," Shinichi explained.

"Ah, I see. And now they consult with you?"

Shinichi coughed lightly. "Well, sort of. I'm a detective."

The conversation stuttered on a little longer as Kaito secretly enjoyed watching Shinichi struggle to find a way to ask what he wanted to ask. Finally, he took pity on the boy and broached the issue himself.

"It's been eight years. I'm glad to see you're doing well."

"You haven't changed at all," Shinichi blurted out.

Kaito chuckled. "No I haven't," he agreed. "It's been centuries since I last changed." He didn't know why he decided to say it. He hadn't told anyone about his condition since, oh, ever (although he had met a redheaded witch some decades ago who had somehow known about everything without his having said a word). Maybe he was just having a little fun though.

Shinichi, however, just gave him an extremely unimpressed look. "Right."

The way he pronounced that one word made it obvious that he thought Kaito was either joking or insane. Somehow, that just made Kaito laugh. They didn't talk for long, but when Shinichi got up to leave, Kaito stopped him.

"You should come see my show sometime," he said, handing the boy his card.

-0-

The third time they met, Kaito didn't actually see Shinichi because it was pretty much impossible to see one person in the massive audience at his magic shows.

Shinichi wasn't sure why he had gone to the show. He had never liked crowds, and magic shows had never held any particular fascination for him. But he hadn't been able to get the strange man who hadn't aged in eight years out of his head. He supposed it was the mystery of it that had pushed him into buying a ticket for the show.

Truth be told, by the time he walked into the performance hall, he was starting to believe that Kaito really was something supernatural. There was just no other way to explain how he hadn't aged. But that was just ridiculous. There had to be a logical explanation. Right?

He had the same argument with himself so many times that he couldn't tell which side made more sense anymore.

So here he sat, looking up at the stage as a young man dressed in white paraded impossible feats before their eyes.

Shinichi had to admit, magic was a lot more amazing than he had thought. Whatever else Kaito might or might not be, he was the best magician Shinichi had ever seen. He told Kaito this the next time they met at the same coffee shop where Kaito had extended his invitation.

Though Shinichi didn't know it, his simple but sincere compliment had meant more to Kaito than any of the hundreds of compliments he had received since restarting his career in Japan.

They stopped counting their meetings after that because they both frequented that coffee shop, and there just wasn't any point keeping track. Both were surprised and delighted to have found someone they could talk to so freely. The detective was happy to have found someone who didn't think it was weird that he was a homicide detective at his age. Kaito was brilliant, and the man knew so much and had done so many things and seen so many places that Shinichi couldn't help but be amazed. Kaito, in turn, found Shinichi to be both intriguing and amusing. The boy was intelligent and extremely knowledgeable, especially considering his young age, but at the same time he was rather naïve about some of the oddest things. It was cute and rather refreshing.

Their friendship developed rapidly after that.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't until Shinichi turned sixteen that he finally admitted that Kaito really was a supernatural being.

It began, as so many events in Shinichi's life did, with a case.

"A smuggling ring?" Kaito raised an eyebrow at Shinichi over his cup of hot chocolate. "That's new. You normally work homicide."

"I'm not sure it's them yet," Shinichi explained. "I was going to the new bookstore downtown two weeks ago when I saw this guy put a purple trash bag into a dumpster."

"Wow, I'm sure that doesn't happen every day."

Shinichi huffed. "I'm not done. When I left the bookstore, I saw a different man taking the same trash bag out of the dumpster. That was when I noticed that there were at least two layers of bag. But the inside bag was white."

"I do agree that taking someone else's trash is pretty weird, but I don't see why that would make you think of smugglers. It's more likely to be a scavenger, a snoop, or a stalker."

"Maybe. But I saw the same thing happen last week. But the guy dropping off the trash was a different person. I went back yesterday and it happened again. Same type of combination of bags, same place, and same deliverer as the first time. But the person who picked it up this time was different."

"Okay," Kaito said slowly. "That is weird. What makes you think it's these guys?" He reached over to tap the report Shinichi had been reading. The report was on an international ring of illegal substance smugglers that had been giving the police grief. The gang dabbled in a variety of drugs and false medications, some of which had already landed several people in the hospitals and three in the morgue.

It was a touchy case because many of the people selling and using the smuggled goods were teenagers.

Shinichi hesitated a moment then leaned forward, lowering his voice so that Kaito too had to lean in close to hear him.

"I was curious, so when I saw the bag get deposited the second time, I took some of the contents. I didn't have much time to actually search since the way they tied it was complicated to undo and redo, so I mostly only got shredded paper, but I also got this." He reached into his inner pocket and produced a small, plastic bag. This he handed to Kaito with great care, blue eyes wide and intent.

"It's a sugar packet."

Shinichi nodded. "Or at least that's what it looks like. But I don't think it's actually sugar inside. I weighed it against a real sugar packet, and the weight was too different. I have a friend called Shiho who knows a lot about chemistry and medicine. She said she could analyze this substance for me later. In the meantime, I'm trying to learn more about this group just in case it really is them."

Kaito nodded. That made sense. But he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that was creeping over him.

When drugs were involved, humans were always dangerous. It wasn't even about the money or the law with such people. It was about their cravings and the lengths they were willing to go to to cling to those things they used to escape reality. Such people could do crazy things when pushed for no good reason at all because their brains were already half fried by their own wares.

It was that thought that had led him to shadow Shinichi the next few days without the boy's knowledge. And it was a good thing he had too.

It turned out that someone amidst the smugglers had been a very meticulous person, and he had noticed that one packet had gone missing. He had set a trap to catch the person who had been snooping around. Shinichi had been dragged into a car before he could even yell and driven away. Cursing, Kaito had chased the car halfway across the city then, to his great frustration, lost the trail. He spent a terrible two hours circling the area where he'd lost the trail. For the first time in many, many years, he felt true terror. Shinichi was the first friend he had made in a long time. Kaito wasn't ready to lose him yet.

He'd been perched on the edge of the roof of a department store when, to his great surprise, he'd seen slightly battered-looking Shinichi spring down a back alley pursued by half a dozen figures in black.

If he hadn't been so worried, he would have laughed because it just figured that Shinichi would break himself out of wherever it was he'd been, but they weren't out of the woods yet.

Shinichi had been trying to run back to somewhere with more people. Unfortunately, it had already been so late that most people had gone back home, and he wasn't familiar with this part of the city while his pursuers were. They had used their advantage to corner him. And they had been armed.

When he'd heard the shot, Shinichi had honestly thought he was going to die that night. But there had been no pain. When he'd opened eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed, he'd seen an all too familiar man standing in front of him.

"Kaito!" he gasped, more horrified than relieved. He could see the dark stain spreading across the magician's shirt even in the poor lighting.

"Who the hell are you?" one of the smugglers had demanded. The voice was distinctly young.

Kaito didn't pay attention to either of them. All his focus was on getting Shinichi safely out of there.

As though in slow motion, he saw the lead pursuer raise his gun again. Kaito lunged. He knocked the man's—no, boy, judging from the voice—hand to the side, causing the shot to go wide as he sank his other fist into the boy's gut. The boy collapsed with a groan, but Kaito dropped a sleeping gas bomb just to be safe. The gas ensnared the next goon over too, so Kaito leapt easily over his falling body. By then, the rest of the pursuit team was in a chaos of confusion. Not only had a strange man fallen from the sky, but he was attacking them with blood all over his shirt like he hadn't just been shot. And what was up with that smoke?

The alley wasn't nearly wide enough for panic.

Shinichi wasn't sure what to think. Where had Kaito come from? But the foremost thought in his mind was that Kaito was injured. Badly.

He ran towards his friend, nearly tripping over unconscious smugglers on the way. He arrived at Kaito's side as the magician caught the wrist of the last of the group that had pursued him, squeezing hard so that said hand dropped the knife it was holding. The hand's owner gaped, eyes wide as he stared straight into Kaito's indigo orbs. Then, to Shinichi's confusion, the person simply slumped to the ground.

Kaito exhaled slowly and straightened. That was when he finally registered the pain from the gunshot that had gone through his right shoulder. He winced.

Shinichi grabbed his left arm to steady him. "You need to sit down. I'll call an ambulance."

"Don't."

"But—"

"I'll be fine."

Shinichi didn't bother trying to hide the disbelieving look on his face. When Kaito only chuckled, the detective's frown deepened. Clearly, he thought Kaito was losing it.

"At least let me look at that wound," Shinichi said. He fumbled for a moment with his watch. It gave a weak flicker of light then died. Grimacing, he gave his wrist a shake and tried again. This time, the little built-in flashlight came to life and stayed.

"I really am fine you know," Kaito said, amused, but he didn't try to stop Shinichi from unbuttoning his shirt and gingerly pulling the bloody fabric away from the afflicted shoulder.

"Wait a moment. I should have a handkerchief somewhere." Shinichi moved to search his pockets, but Kaito beat him to it.

With a flick of his wrist, the magician pulled a clean handkerchief from thin air and set about wiping away the blood himself, ignoring Shinichi's startled admonition that he needed to be careful.

The detective's protests died on his lips when the blood had been mostly cleared away and he saw that there was no injury underneath. He stared. How was that possible? That blood had to have come from somewhere, but there really was no wound.

"And here's the bullet," Kaito said cheerfully, holding up exactly that. He couldn't help but laugh again at the expression on Shinichi's face. "I told you before, remember? I'm immortal."

Shinichi opened his mouth then shut it again. "But that's just… I don't understand."

Kaito's smile saddened as his eyes grew distant. Reaching out, he rested the hand not holding the bloody handkerchief on top of Shinichi's head. "Some mysteries are better left as mysteries. Now come on, let's get you home."

But Shinichi caught the magician's hand as he made to pull away. "Will you…tell me? I want to understand."

Blue met indigo, and, for a long, breathless moment, neither moved. The city around them faded away.

Kaito knew he should know better. Telling Shinichi wouldn't do either of them any good. And it was dangerous to allow himself to care too much about someone. But…

But he wanted to tell Shinichi. And it was too late to stop himself from caring.

So he offered Shinichi a tired smile, turning his hand over and twining his fingers with the young detective's. "All right. But I warn you, it's a pretty unbelievable story."

Shinichi's gaze flickered down to the magician's uninjured shoulder then back to his face. "I think I figured that out already."

Kaito let out a bark of laughter. "Good point. But first, let's get out of here. A back alley is no place for storytelling."

Shinichi nodded then paused. "Wait. I need to call the police first."

Kaito's laughter this time rebounded off the surrounding buildings.

There was no turning back after that. But, Kaito reflected, it was nice too, to have a real friend again. One who actually knew who he was and not merely the masks he put on for the world (although he may have left out one pointy-toothed detail).

-0-

Shinichi was seventeen when Kaito realized that he might have more than just friendly fondness for the young detective.

He had put off feeding for far too long—not intentionally, for he had learned better than to do that long ago. If he ignored it too long, the hunger would grow to the point where he stopped being able to think clearly. The first and only time he had allowed the hunger to sharpen to that point, three people had died. It had been a young couple and their child—three innocent souls who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He still felt sick every time he remembered that night, but he would not allow himself to forget. He had vowed that he would never let such a tragedy occur again.

This week, however, had been HECTIC with all the capitals. He had had meetings after meetings and meetings that had had to be interrupted for other meetings, and yeah, he couldn't even count the number of phone calls and arguments he had had to sort out. It was something he knew he would have to face showing up and saying he wanted to perform at the city's biggest performance hall just like that when the place had never hosted a magician before. But after his demonstration, the board of directors had to admit that he was talented. Still, several didn't want to break the hall's tradition by hosting a magic show when they had always put forth the stance that such things were frivolous. And of course there was the issue of equipment and schedules and a whole long list of other issues from massive to tiny, and in the midst of the maelstrom, Kaito had simply forgotten about feeding until the hunger suddenly reared its ugly head during a late brunch break.

Regular food could dull the hunger, but it could not quench it for long. When he felt that sudden, intense spike of need, he had leapt from his seat and torn out of the office building, ignoring all the cries of alarm and concern that followed him out.

He ran. He wasn't sure where he was running to or how far he had run or even if he had a destination in mind. He just had to get away until this intense, unyielding need to sink his teeth into living flesh—to taste the essence of life as hot blood filled his mouth—

When his wits cleared enough for him to begin understanding the world again, he was in the park, hunched over on a bench in one of the smaller alcoves between the trees where passersby would never see him unless they were looking. There, he focused on his breathing. Deep even breaths. The hunger pangs were sharp, but he could control this. They would pass once he had calmed more, and then he could deal with it like he should have earlier in the week. There was a girl reading down by the park lake. She would make for a good choice. She was young and healthy. A little blood loss wouldn't harm her at all. She would be tired for a few days, but that would be it.

It should have been simple, but then everything went wrong.

Because Shinichi was at the park too, and he had seen Kaito.

"Kai?"

The sound of that voice calling his name made Kaito freeze. Uh oh, uh oh, was the mantra chanting in his head. But it was too late. Shinichi was already there, standing in front of him with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you all right? What happened?"

"Don't come any closer," Kaito snapped when Shinichi moved to place a soothing hand on his shoulder. The boy froze then drew back, but his frown deepened. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Kaito snapped then winced. That was an obvious lie and Shinichi wouldn't buy it. "I can handle it. Just…don't come any closer. Go home."

"If you tell me about it, I might be able to help," Shinichi insisted, taking a step closer despite Kaito's warnings. "Weren't you the one who told me I shouldn't try to deal with all my problems alone?"

Maybe it was the honest concern in his voice, or maybe it was the warmth and caring in those brilliant blue eyes that Kaito had always found so beautiful, but Kaito knew then that he was lost. He wouldn't be able to stop himself. His body was already moving, rising from the bench, and the tiny voice in the back of his mind that was protesting was growing weaker by the second. A much louder voice purred in anticipation, for hadn't he wanted this all along? He just hadn't wanted to admit it to himself.

That thought sobered him enough to give him back a little control over his body. The least he could do was make sure that Shinichi wouldn't remember this.

"Shinichi"

The moment the detective looked into Kaito's eyes, he froze. Shinichi felt a wave of warmth sweep through his body, making his thoughts go fuzzy and his muscles relax. He couldn't move, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was the man standing in front of him, so close that their bodies were almost touching. He had to tilt his head back to keep his eyes on Kaito's face, but he couldn't seem to look away.

A faint blush crept up into Shinichi's face. He had never really noticed before, but Kaito was a very handsome man. Or no, he had noticed, he just hadn't wanted to think about it before. It was embarrassing and confusing, especially when his stomach liked to do funny little flip-flops whenever Kaito stood too close. His eyes… Those dark, indigo eyes looked deep into his sapphire orbs, and all the world seemed to melt into shades of blue.

Kaito had never felt like this before when feeding.

After he had gotten over the initial embarrassment of having to bite people, the act had become nothing more than a passing necessity. The ability to use hypnotic suggestions meant that the whole affair could be dealt with in less time than it took normal people to grab a burger. And frankly it was nothing more significant than that—grabbing a bite to eat. If anything, it was rather a lot less interesting. After all, for normal people, mealtimes could be social occasions and they had any number of dishes and settings to choose from. He had no options because, whatever they were like on the outside, people were all pretty much the same on the inside biologically speaking. As for the social aspect… Well, technically he wasn't alone, but what was the point in talking to your food? You respected and appreciated it, but that was about as much feeling as a person could have towards something he was eating.

And so Kaito was caught entirely off guard by the feeling that swept over him now.

Shinichi was a warm, pliant body leaning trustingly against him. For some reason, Kaito felt his heart skip a beat. He knew this was the power of the vampire's spell. It made humans into docile, willing prey. But Kaito found himself wishing that it wasn't hypnosis making Shinichi lean into him like this.

Putting that thought out of his mind, he shifted.

Shinichi tasted like fire. The world seemed to sharpen and become more vibrant. More alive. He could feel Shinichi's warm body pressed intimately against his, and he found himself pulling the boy closer, reveling in the feeling of having Shinichi here in his arms, entranced and completely at his mercy.

The thought made his pulse quicken in a way he couldn't remember it ever doing.

He found himself imagining what it would be like to slowly strip Shinichi bare. To lay the boy out on his bed and explore every inch of that slim, lithe body with his hands and lips and tongue. Then he would catch those soft, sweet lips in a heated kiss as he brought them together. He wanted to make Shinichi writhe in uncontrollable pleasure and beg for more. He wanted to hear Shinichi cry out his name as they came together.

Licking a last drop of blood from the corner of his lips, Kaito stood there for a long moment just looking down at the young detective now sleeping in his arms. The bite mark on the boy's neck had already closed. From the outside, it was a peaceful scene, but Kaito's thoughts were in turmoil.

It would be oh so very easy… With Shinichi under his spell, Kaito could do whatever he wanted to him and Shinichi wouldn't remember a thing if Kaito didn't want him to. He could easily take Shinichi home and act out all the fantasies that had just danced unbidden through his mind. Kaito was horrified to discover just how tempted he was to do just that.

But he had never abused his powers to take advantage of someone like that, and he wasn't going to start now. Especially not with Shinichi.

He shook his head, disgusted at himself for even contemplating it for an instant.

Maybe it had just been too long since he had indulged in such physical pleasures.

He knew that wasn't it, but it was safer to think that way.

So he delivered Shinichi back to the Kudo Manor then called his colleagues to make a few excuses for his earlier behavior. That done, he wandered into the city, hoping to distract himself from the memory of Shinichi's warm body pressed flush against his.

He ended up in a night club where the drinks were lousy but the music was good. He danced a few times with some of the other guests, but he couldn't seem to find an interest in either the refreshments, the music, the dancing, or the people until he looked into the face of his latest dance partner and her eyes were the same brilliant blue as Shinichi's.

They spent the night at a hotel and parted on amicable terms the next morning. She had winked and said he could call her if he ever wanted to have some fun, and he had smiled and wished her a good day.

He had had his share of one night stands over the centuries (not many because it was rare for him to meet anyone he found interesting), but he had never been in a serious relationship—had never sought to be because he knew it could only end tragically. The last time he had harbored romantic feelings towards someone had been back when he had still been a regular human being. There had been a girl called Aoko who had been a neighbor of his. They had grown up together, and he had thought that he would marry her one day. But then he had changed, and so he had had to distance himself from her for both their sakes.

Contrary to his intentions, however, the night did nothing to quell the desire beginning to stir in his chest. It was human nature after all, he mused, to crave more than just casual companionship. True happiness had never been found in mere physical acts and material things. Even so, he knew that there were some things that just weren't meant to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Shinichi didn't know when he had fallen in love. For the longest time, he'd thought he was in love with his friend Mouri Ran. But he realized partway through high school that it wouldn't happen. It wasn't that he didn't care for her because they were still the best of friends, but they had nothing in common. They didn't share any interests, and she disliked his tendency to spend so much time investigating and talking about crime in its various shapes and forms. There were too many things he either couldn't or just didn't want to share with her, either because he didn't want to worry her or because he knew she wouldn't understand and wouldn't be interested even if she could understand.

Things were different with Kaito.

The magician was a genius. He knew more than anyone Shinichi had ever met (although, now that he knew what he knew, he supposed that was only to be expected when someone had been around for a few hundred years), and he knew how to use that knowledge (a much rarer quality) to spin miracles out of the mundane. They could and did discuss anything and everything. Kaito had even offered extremely helpful insights on several of the more difficult cases Shinichi had worked on, and their debates over literature had become famous in the coffee shop that served as their most frequent meeting place.

Discovering the truth behind his friend's strange existence hadn't changed how Shinichi felt about him. No, wait, that wasn't entirely right. It had made him realize just how much he valued their friendship. It had made him impossibly happy that Kaito had trusted him with his story. Even so, it wasn't until Kaito suddenly disappeared from his life that he realized he had been in love.

Sitting in that same coffee shop, Shinichi gazed at the empty seat across from him and wondered what had gone wrong.

The last time he and Kaito had met, the magician had been unusually quiet and distant, but Shinichi hadn't thought too much of it. Everyone had their off days after all, and, immortal or not, Kaito was still human in all the ways that mattered.

But then the magician hadn't shown up at their next usual meeting time. Shinichi hadn't seen him since. Nor had he spoken to him.

It had been almost two months now. It was obviously not just Kaito having an off day or two, but then what was it?

Was Kaito in trouble? But no. Even discounting the fact that Kaito was, well, Kaito, and frankly anyone who wanted to mess with the mischievous magician would likely be regretting the fact that they'd ever heard Kaito's name in short order, Shinichi had seen the magician in the news. He'd had a show just the previous night. Everyone was still raving about how incredible the magician had been. That news was also why Shinichi knew for a fact that Kaito wasn't out of town on some tour he'd forgotten to tell Shinichi about either.

That could only mean that Kaito was avoiding him on purpose. But why?

Shinichi had wracked his brains for the answer but come up blank. The only thing out of the ordinary that he could recall was an oddly blurred memory from shortly before their last meeting. He had seen Kaito at the park, and the magician had looked upset.

The strange thing was, Shinichi couldn't remember what had happened after that.

So this could be about whatever had had the magician so uncharacteristically upset. Except then it shouldn't have had anything to do with Shinichi, and so he should have had no reason to be avoiding said detective. No, it still made more sense that the problem was something closer to home. Especially since, as far as Shinichi could tell, the magician was going on with life as usual aside from his sudden disappearance from Shinichi's life.

And he seemed happy enough despite it, Shinichi thought, looking at the picture of Kaito in the newspaper in front of him. It was a good photo. Kaito was laughing and talking to a few members of his audience, and Shinichi knew that the joy in those indigo eyes was genuine.

Seeing that made him happy even while it made his heart sink. Suddenly, he felt cold.

Maybe Kaito was tired of him. Maybe he had done something to inadvertently offend the magician. Or maybe Kaito was just too busy to hang out with someone who was probably little more than a child in his eyes. Whatever his reasons, Shinichi was determined to hear them directly from the magician himself.

Even if the answers hurt, he just—had to know.

That was when he realized it. Sitting there, imagining a future where he never saw the magician again, he finally understood just how much he had come to rely on Kaito's presence in his life.

But, of course, he could only be a fleeting moment in Kaito's life. Looking at it like that, it only made sense that Kaito would move on sooner or later. He had no right to expect anything more.

Still, didn't he at least deserve a goodbye? They had been friends after all, or so Shinichi had believed. Yes, he decided, he did deserve at least that much.

-0-

Shutting the door to his dressing room, Kaito allowed himself a sigh.

The show had gone off without a hitch. But, now that it was over, the euphoria of the spotlight and the applause too was fading, and, once again, he found his thoughts drifting inexorably towards a certain young detective.

He missed Shinichi terribly.

He missed the way Shinichi's blue eyes sparkled with pure excitement whenever he got hold of a new mystery novel and the eagerness with which he drank in the latest news about the professional soccer world. He missed the way intensity that filled Shinichi's entire being when he was faced with a case. The way the detective's very essence focused as he strove to uncover the truth and his triumph when he succeeded. He'd always admired that about Shinichi. The boy's dedication to righting the wrongs of the world and the way he threw himself wholeheartedly into the work were things the world could use a lot more of, although Kaito wished the boy would be a little less stubborn about taking everything on himself and take better care of himself.

He missed their long conversations and the surprised wonder he could see in Shinichi's face when Kaito's latest magic trick had him stumped and the way that expression would immediately become one of concentration as the detective tried to figure out the mechanics behind the magic. He missed the way Shinichi smiled at him, the adorable way he blushed when he was flustered, and the sound of his laughter—so rare but all the more precious for that rarity.

The days had never crawled by so slowly.

Once again, he found himself wondering if this was really what he should be doing. After all, humans came and went so quickly. Wouldn't it be better to spend as much time as he could with Shinichi now while he still had the chance? But if he let himself get any more attached, it would only be worse when it was over. And he couldn't get in the way of Shinichi's life like that. After all, he knew himself. If he let himself stay too close to Shinichi, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from interfering if, say, Shinichi ever decided to start dating. And that wouldn't be fair to the detective. The boy deserved to live a normal life—well, as normal a life as a detective who attracted trouble like there was no tomorrow could live.

That didn't mean Kaito had stopped caring. Not caring was too hard. It just couldn't be done. After all, that was the problem. So he kept his eye on the news and hoped like hell that his adorable but reckless little detective wouldn't turn up on the front page as the next victim of some murderer who didn't want to be caught.

Letting go of Aoko had been easier, he mused. Then again, he'd had his parents with him back then. They had helped a lot in that regard. And, after growing up with her, it had been somewhat easier to shift his affections for her from the romantic to the familial. And then time had gone on, Aoko had gotten married, and he had watched her smile and introduce her children to him, and he had known that he had made the right decision.

Back then, he hadn't really understood yet what it meant to be alone.

This time, things were different. But he would manage.

-0-

In all the time they had known each other, Shinichi had never once been to Kaito's apartment. In truth, the magician had never said anything about where he lived, although he had said that he lived alone.

Then again, Shinichi hadn't become the famous detective he was for no reason. Kaito had done a remarkable job keeping his address a secret, but a lot of careful poking around and subtle questions later, Shinichi had the apartment's location.

A week later, however, he still hadn't decided what to do with the knowledge. His determination to get an explanation had been rather dampened by a certain dread of what that explanation might be. After all, once the truth was out, there was no turning back. It would be the end of things as they had been. No matter what happened, things would never go back to the way it had been. And he didn't want that.

Deep down, all he really wanted was for everything to go back to the way they had been. The fact that he knew they couldn't… Well, that was why he was still dithering. He kept hoping that Kaito would walk into the coffee shop like he had dozens of times before and the whole thing would turn out to be just a passing memory.

Hope was a wonderful and terrible thing.

He might have been annoyed at himself for being a coward about the whole thing if it weren't for the fact that he had been busy with casework. Of course, he was always busy with casework, but that wasn't the point. Homicides weren't going to solve themselves, and catching killers certainly took precedence over dealing with his personal issues.

Therefore, Kaito and Shinichi's next meeting came as a surprise to both of them.

It began with a murder—which surprised no one, although Shinichi felt with some chagrin that this was not the way things should be.

The case itself had been typical. The victim had been blackmailing his coworker, who had been hiding a hit and run. The coworker had rebelled with the help of his girlfriend, who, in a twist of fate, had also been the victim's ex. That had complicated things a little as the two covered for each other, leaving the three other suspects (more victims of the blackmailer) deceptively more suspicious, but that had only been a minor snag.

The real problem started after the case had technically been closed when the culprits decided to make a break for it. Unfortunately for everyone, the two had had considerable skill in the martial arts. This still wouldn't have been a huge problem if a trio of young kids hadn't happened by just as the two were making their mistake. They grabbed the smallest of the three—a little girl with a ribbon in her hair—and suddenly they had a hostage. Never a pretty picture.

Kaito had been walking by outside the apartment high-rise. He had been on his way back from a fancy party during which he had gotten several invitations to perform at other great venues and a few subtle and not so subtle queries about his plans for the future in the family department. He had made note of the first and politely deflected the latter.

And so the culprits, hostage in tow, had barged out of the apartment and made a run for their car, which had been parked right behind the path down which Kaito was walking.

What happened then happened so quickly that no one was sure about the details. But later, people would swear that, when the kidnappers and the young man dressed in a white suit had crossed paths, the little girl had suddenly been in the young man's arms instead of those of her captor even though the young man in question hadn't slowed or even glanced at the kidnappers sprinting past him. The exchange had happened so fast that the culprit who'd been carrying the child had continued running with his arms in the same position as though holding an invisible hostage for several steps before he realized the little girl had disappeared. His partner had taken a few steps longer to realize that her accomplice had lost his hostage and, therefore, their advantage. But by then it was too late for the both of them.

And as the police cuffed the two, the young man in white set the little girl down on her feet and knelt before her.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded mutely, staring at him with wide eyes.

He smiled and gave her a reassuring pat on the head. "Good. You were very brave. Now, I believe that nice police lady over there wants to talk to you. Then she'll help you get home safely."

The girl nodded again, this time managing a smile. Once she'd gone, Kaito stood up, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and turned around to find himself face to face with Kudo Shinichi.

"Kaito…" Shinichi managed to say only to draw a blank as to how to continue. Casting around wildly, he ended up with, "Thanks for helping."

Kaito only shrugged. "No problem."

There was an awkward silence—or at least it was awkward on Shinichi's part. Kaito was gazing off into the distance, apparently completely uninterested in the present.

"Um, you…haven't been to the shop recently," Shinichi tried again.

"I have a lot of things to do."

"Oh." Shinichi squirmed. He was beginning to wish he'd stayed home today. This was beyond awkward, and the cold, impassive look on Kaito's face was making him feel even worse. It made him feel like he was making a pest of himself. Well, there was no point subjecting the both of them to this awkwardness any longer than necessary. "I guess I'll go see if the police need any help."

Seeing Shinichi turn to leave, something in Kaito snapped. He reached out before he could think better of it and grabbed Shinichi's arm. Then he pulled Shinichi hard, causing the smaller boy to fall against his chest with a yelp. He immediately wrapped his arms around Shinichi to keep him there.

"I'm sorry," Kaito said.

Shinichi froze.

They stood like that for what felt like an eternity, though it was probably less than a minute. Feeling that he had reached the end of the line and that, if there ever was a chance, this was the only one he would probably get, Shinichi took in a deep breath and said the three words that he had thought he'd already decided never to utter.

"I love you." The words were nearly inaudible, but they were heard. He knew because Kaito's arms tightened around him—which, in some ways, was a relief, though he reminded himself that it didn't necessarily mean anything. Just that Kaito wasn't going to hold it against him.

"I guess we need to talk, don't we."

It wasn't a question. Shinichi nodded anyway. Come good or ill, anything had to be better than this limbo—or at least he hoped so.

"Come on." Kaito released his hold on Shinichi and grabbed his hand instead (Shinichi's heart skipped a beat). "My apartment's not too far from here."

-0-

He was sitting in Kaito's apartment.

He wasn't sure if he was excited or ready to run screaming for the hills. The stress was really getting to him. He had no idea what to expect.

The apartment itself didn't have any clues. It was pretty bare. Almost impersonal, really. It was an apartment with all the trappings expected of such a place and none of the little unnecessary things that showed you someone lived here.

Shinichi's gaze focused on the electric fireplace and the pristine, harry rug laid out in front of it. It looked a little out of place in the otherwise cold and clinically modern apartment. He wondered why it was there.

"I move around a lot," Kaito said, reappearing from the kitchen with two steaming cups. "I rarely bother taking much with me. It's too much of a hassle."

"It doesn't really feel like you live here," Shinichi said before he could think better of it. To his surprise, Kaito smiled.

"No, I suppose it doesn't. I'm not sure if I'd say I live here either. The only thing I ever seem to do here is sleep."

They sat side by side on the couch in the living room facing the dark fireplace. Shinichi was the first to break the silence.

"You've been avoiding me."

"I have," Kaito agreed.

Shinichi's hands tightened around his mug. "Why?"

Kaito was silent for a long moment. "I did not wish to hurt you."

Shinichi's heart clenched. Did that mean Kaito had known about his feelings? He hadn't figured it out himself until recently, but Kaito was a master at reading people. He supposed that meant Kaito didn't feel the same. Not that Shinichi hadn't predicted that already. It still hurt though, to be told. He swallowed. "It's okay. I didn't really… I mean, I…"

"It's not what you're thinking," Kaito interjected. For some reason Shinichi couldn't fathom, he sounded amused.

Confused, Shinichi turned to find himself almost nose to nose with Kaito. He blushed, any words he might have said dying instantly on his tongue as his mind went blank and his heart rate picked up.

Kaito kissed him.

It wasn't a very long or intimate kiss, but it stole Shinichi's breath away nonetheless and sent his mind spinning.

Kaito was smiling at him. It was a slightly sad smile, but it was warm too.

"I wanted you to be able to live your own life—a normal one. The kind of life you couldn't live with me," he said softly. "I never meant to make you sad."

"Does that mean you…?"

"I love you," Kaito said simply, though that sad smile was still on his face. "Even though I know I shouldn't."

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Shin-chan, I'm not human."

"Being immortal doesn't mean you're not human."

"I…didn't tell you everything."

"What do you mean?"

Leaning forward until his mouth was right beside Shinichi's ear, Kaito told him. Everything. From the very beginning.

By the time he had finished, they had both finished their drinks. Their cups sat empty on the table. At some point, they had inched even closer together on the couch. Kaito now had his arm looped loosely around Shinichi's waist, and the detective was leaning against him with his head on Kaito's shoulder, listening to Kaito tell his story and memorizing every word. He had heard parts of Kaito's history before, but now he was getting the entire story—all the details Kaito had left out before. The already unbelievable story was even more incredible when Kaito wasn't selectively editing things out.

"So that time at the park…"

"I bit you. I'm sorry. You…caught me at a bad time."

"I don't remember anything."

"I explained that already."

"Well, yes, but it's just…" Shinichi shook his head. "It's a little hard to wrap my mind around."

Kaito laughed. "Out of everything I've told you, that's what you're having trouble with?"

"It's just hard to imagine someone having that kind of influence over someone else's mind without the use of drugs or something."

Kaito's expression sobered. "Does it scare you?"

Shinichi bit back the instinctive denial and gave the issue serious thought. "Maybe a little bit," he said finally because it was the truth. Such a power could be devastating in the wrong hands. "But it doesn't change how I feel. You are still you, and I know you're a good person."

"I…" Kaito cleared his throat. Odd. When was the last time he had been at an actual loss for words? Never, as far as he could remember. "Thank you."

Feeling rather daring, Shinichi turned and leaned up to give the magician a quick kiss. Kaito's hands shifted to the back of his head though, keeping him from pulling away. A tongue swept across Shinichi's lips, and he parted them. Kaito pressed closer, deepening the kiss. Shinichi let out an involuntary moan, wrapping his arms around Kaito's neck.

It was Kaito who broke the kiss, though he remained close, leaning his forehead against Shinichi's as he looked deep into the other's slightly dazed sapphire eyes. "Are you sure you want to stay? If you think you're going to change your mind, you should go now. I don't think I could let you go again."

"I'm not going anywhere," Shinichi said firmly. "Just promise me you won't disappear on me."

"I won't," Kaito promised before closing the distance between their lips again. He knew there was still a lot they had to discuss, but he couldn't seem to stop. He had wanted this for far too long, and Shinichi wasn't pushing him away. If anything, the detective was pulling him closer, kissing him back with every bit the desperate fervor that Kaito was feeling.

Shinichi let out a gasp of surprise when Kaito pushed him back. The sound was immediately muffled as Kaito had moved on top of him and crushed their mouths together again. This kiss was rough and sloppy, and it sent electricity racing down every nerve in Shinichi's body. He found himself arching his back in an attempt to press himself closer to the strong body on top of him.

Half of Shinichi was worried that this might all just be a dream. The other half decided that it didn't care. If this was a dream, he might as well enjoy it.

He moaned. Kaito's hands had found their way under his shirt. Those calloused fingers were working magic on his body.

Shinichi was startled when Kaito suddenly got up off the couch. But the magician scooped him up before he could ask and made a beeline for the bedroom. The realization of where they were going brought a blush to Shinichi's cheeks.

Kaito lay Shinichi down on his bed then stood back for a moment to simply admire the sight. Shinichi's blush darkened. He was lying on Kaito's bed! And, he realized, the magician had somehow managed to strip him of his clothes somewhere between the couch and the bedroom because he could feel the sheets under him and the air on his exposed skin.

The mattress shifted as Kaito eased onto the bed between Shinichi's legs. Shinichi's breath hitched as he stared up at the magician leaning over him. He could just barely make out the fact that Kaito too had disrobed. But he didn't need light to see the burning, indigo eyes that seemed to pin him to the spot with their sheer intensity.

For a moment, Shinichi couldn't breathe. He felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with his lack of clothing. Then Kaito broke the spell by leaning down and locking their lips together again in a kiss even more passionate than the last. Shinichi was all too willing to respond in kind, wrapping his arms around Kaito's neck and pulling the magician down on top of him.

Kaito's hands were all over him, exploring every inch of his body even as they stole his ability to think. His whole body felt hot and over sensitive.

Kaito was leaving burning kisses down his throat and across his chest. He lingered on the scattering of scars that marred the detective's otherwise flawless skin. There were too many for someone so young. He knew Shinichi was a danger magnet who got into enough trouble for ten people, but it was chilling to see physical evidence of just how dangerous some of that trouble was. Well, Shinichi was his now, and he was never going to leave Shinichi to fend for himself again because every day—every minute, every second—was precious.

He shifted lower. Pushing Shinichi's legs apart, he ducked down and began leaving vivid red hickeys on the sensitive skin of the detective's inner thighs. Shinichi gasped and squirmed and spread his legs wider to give Kaito better access. Pleased, Kaito redoubled his efforts. By the time he was done tonight, there would be no question as to who Shinichi belonged to.

Using one hand to hold Shinichi's hips still, he licked and teased the detective's length with his tongue before taking it into his mouth. Shinichi groaned, writhing against Kaito's iron grip as that talented mouth dragged him towards the edge.

He came with a cry, white spots dancing before his eyes. The rush of pleasure left him feeling weak and dizzy, but the heat continued to crawl beneath his skin.

Shinichi barely noticed the lotion-covered finger pressing into him. He did notice when the second finger joined it. He gasped, muscles clenching around the intrusion. But Kaito only thrust his fingers in deeper. Shinichi moaned and scrabbled at the sheets as the fingers inside him scissored, stretching him—preparing him for what was to come. That thought alone was enough to make him hard again, and he squirmed, hips bucking instinctively to match the fingers now thrusting inside him.

Grinning at his detective's reaction, Kaito pushed a third finger into Shinichi's entrance. It was all too easy to imagine how it was going to feel to have that velvet heat wrapped tight around his throbbing cock, and it was all he could do not to just take Shinichi then and there. Another thrust of his fingers, and suddenly Shinichi let out a loud cry, back arching as his muscles clenched.

Indigo eyes gleamed.

Shinichi gasped and let out little mewling cries of mixed pleasure and need as Kaito's fingers pressed mercilessly again and again at that spot inside him that made his spine arch and sparks dance along his nerves.

"K—Kai, please—" he whimpered.

That little plea wiped away what was left of Kaito's self control. He caught Shinichi's lips in another heated kiss as he removed his fingers and moved to position his cock at Shinichi's entrance.

Shinichi had thought he was ready, but it turned out he hadn't been as ready as he'd thought. A hot blush crept across Shinichi's face. It was big, and it was hot. The strain in his rear as he was stretched to accommodate his lover's length made tears spring to the corners of his eyes.

A breathless whimper escaped Shinichi's lips as he pressed his head back against the pillows, hands twisting in the sheets beneath him. He could feel every inch as Kaito's hard cock entered him, and he really didn't know how much more he could take when Kaito was finally fully inside him. Shinichi could only gasp. He'd never felt so full before in his life. But though it hurt more than he had expected, he found he didn't at all want Kaito to stop.

"Are you alright?" Kaito murmured, brushing a gentle kiss across Shinichi's lips. It was taking the magician a phenomenal effort to stay still and let his lover adjust to the penetration. He wouldn't have thought it was possible for him to be any more aroused than he already was, but he was rapidly being proven wrong. The way Shinichi's tight, virgin heat stuttered and clenched around him was making his very being throb with the need to just grab Shinichi by the hips and pound into him until his lover was a writhing mess of pleasure, screaming his name and begging for more.

That mental image made Kaito even harder than he already was, if that was even possible.

By now, he was practically shaking with the effort of staying still.

Completely oblivious to Kaito's ferocious inner struggle, Shinichi blinked open eyes he hadn't realized he had closed. Seeing Kaito leaning over him made the blush return to his face. Suddenly it was all so very shockingly, tantalizingly real—that it was Kaito he holding him, touching him, filling him… That knowledge made his toes curl in pleasure.

Abruptly, all his nervousness evaporated. He squirmed, noticing that the intrusion in his rear was now more uncomfortable than painful. Feeling a sudden spark of mischief, he freed his hands from the sheets and wrapped his arms around Kaito's neck, pulling the magician down into a kiss as he clenched his inner muscles tight around Kaito's length. Indigo eyes widened slightly as Kaito made a noise halfway between a moan and a growl, which Shinichi might have found funny, except that the sudden movement had caused Kaito's cock to shift inside him. The sudden friction drew a startled gasp from his lips, and his hips bucked reflexively. His gasp turned to a moan against Kaito's lips.

He felt more than heard Kaito growl before a hot mouth crashed down over his once more. The kiss was deep and passionate, and it left Shinichi breathless and burning for more. More was exactly what he got.

Calloused hands gripped his hips so hard that he knew he was going to have bruises, but then Kaito was moving, and everything else cased to matter. All that he could think about—all that he could feel, was Kaito. The magician pulled out then thrust all the way back into him, hard and fast, filling him completely once more.

Shinichi tossed his head back with a gasp. Another deep thrust, and Shinichi moaned. In and out, in and out, at a gradually increasing pace. Kaito had intended to take things more slowly, knowing that this was Shinichi's first time, but he was rapidly losing control of his own body. He couldn't help it. The eager way Shinichi opened up beneath him, accepting and responding to his every grazing touch—

The soft whimpers and sharp cries of pleasure spilling from Shinichi's lips—

The way Shinichi naturally wrapped his legs around Kaito's waist and canted his hips to allow Kaito in deeper, and the way Shinichi's body clenched around him as though trying to keep him inside—

It was like Shinichi knew instinctively exactly how to drive Kaito absolutely mad.

Shinichi was in much the same state. All conscious thought had fled his mind in the face of the overwhelming waves of pleasure coursing through his body as Kaito thrust into him again and again. All pain and discomfort had melted away, leaving nothing but pleasure.

Shinichi could feel himself nearing the brink, but he fought to hang on, not wanting it all to end just yet. But the stimulation soon grew to be too much, and he came hard, Kaito's name on his lips. The magician managed a few more thrusts as Shinichi clamped down around him before he followed suit, coming deep inside his lover's body.

Their frenzied movements stilled as they both panted for breath. Shinichi let out a soft whimper when Kaito carefully pulled out of him. The magician brushed a kiss across his lips before lying and gathering Shinichi into his arms.

"Are you alright?" he whispered into the dark.

Shinichi mumbled something incoherent and snuggled closer to his lover. He felt exhausted but warm and content.

Smiling softly at his detective, Kaito ran a hand through Shinichi's soft, black hair then closed his eyes. For the first time in a long, long time, he truly felt like he was not alone.

-0-

They no longer met only at their little café, although the place still held a special place in both their hearts, and they made a point of going there at least once or twice a week. Kaito brought Shinichi to see some of the venues at which he performed and watched with amusement as the detective pored over the various mechanisms, trying to figure out how they worked. Shinichi tried to teach Kaito how to juggle a soccer ball and was mildly amused to find that the magician, for all his skills at everything else, couldn't keep the ball from bouncing away for more than five minutes at a time. Kaito complained that he was better with his hands then joined in the laughter. At other times, they could be found at the Kudo Manor or Kaito's apartment.

Kaito was impressed by the vast collection in the Kudo library. He had his own collection tucked away in a villa in the Rockies where he went when he felt the need to just get away from everything for a while (something which happened most often around the anniversaries of his parents' deaths). That hideaway was one of the only places where he kept more personal possessions.

"You can visit it with me sometime, if you'd like," he offered one evening when he and Shinichi were playing chess in the Kudo library. "Although I have to warn you that the place is probably pretty dusty right now."

Shinichi had smiled then because he knew at that moment that Kaito really was including him in his future. "I'd like that."


	4. Chapter 4

The evolution of their relationship led inevitably to other changes in their lives, the most major of which had to do with their friends and relatives—or rather Shinichi's friends and relatives. Kaito had no relatives, and though he had friends, few of them had known much about his personal life to begin with.

The majority of Shinichi's friends were thunderstruck—not by the fact that Shinichi now had a boyfriend but by the fact that Shinichi had actually gotten into any kind of romantic relationship at all. They all knew for a fact that the blue-eyed detective, for all his incredible deductive skills, was incredibly dense when it came to matters of romance. And most of his acquaintances had long concluded that he was only interested in mystery-solving anyway.

Suzuki Sonoko's shriek of "What?!" when she heard that he had gotten together with someone could be heard all over the campus of their university. When she heard exactly who the person in question was, she nearly passed out. Then she'd nearly strangled Shinichi, demanding to hear all the details. After all, she said, something spectacular must have happened for a mystery geek who'd never even gone on one date in the first nineteen years of his life to suddenly end up in a romantic relationship with one of the entertainment world's rising stars who, in her opinion, should really be going out with "a beautiful, cultured young maiden like yours truly".

Shinichi concluded that Sonoko had apparently had Kaito somewhere on her most eligible bachelors list, and therefore she was not pleased to learn that her old friend had caught Kaito's eye before she could have her chance. It had taken four milkshakes and a lot of soothing from his other friend, Mouri Ran, to get the girl to calm down.

Then there was Hattori Heiji, a detective from Osaka that Shinichi had met during a case while he was still back in high school. The Osakan had showed up and dragged Shinichi out to lunch one day shortly after being introduced to Kaito and presented Shinichi with a thick folder stuffed full of research information. It turned out he had run a full background check on the magician and, while he hadn't found anything incriminating, he did think it was mighty suspicious how he hadn't been able to find any concrete records of the man's origins. It hadn't been easy convincing him that Kaito was harmless and that he should really drop the issue. Frankly, Shinichi wasn't sure if he had succeeded in getting Hattori to stop his investigation or not.

"You have interesting friends," Kaito mused with a low chuckle after listening to Shinichi grumble about Hattori's overprotective nosiness. The two were sitting together on his couch watching an old movie rerun, though neither was really paying attention at this point. Shinichi was trying to decide whether to go pour himself a fourth cup of coffee while Kaito flipped with great interest through the information that Hattori had unearthed about him. He let out a low whistle. "This Hattori fellow must have been working hard to find all this."

Shinichi winced. "Sorry about him. I did try to tell him not to pry, but, well… He didn't listen."

Kaito laughed. "Don't worry about it. I've had centuries to learn to cover my tracks. In any case, I'm glad."

Shinichi turned to stare at him, eyebrows raised. "Glad?"

"That there are other people looking out for you," the magician replied with all seriousness. "You take too many risks as it is."

"You make it sound like I'm always in trouble," Shinichi huffed, mildly affronted.

"Aren't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let me see. Last week, you got yourself locked in the basement of a building scheduled for demolition. The week before that, you nearly fell to your death rescuing a murderer who tried to commit suicide by jumping off an eighth floor balcony. Oh, and let's not forget the burning building and the guy who tried to stab you the week before that. Shin-chan, most people go their entire lives without encountering as much trouble as you do in one week."

Shinichi opened his mouth then shut it again. He had to admit—grudgingly—that Kaito might have a (tiny!) point. But in his defense, he didn't go looking for trouble or anything. Trouble just had a tendency of finding him in the course of his daily life. And Kaito was right. He was lucky that he had friends like Hattori (and Kaito himself) looking out for him.

At the same time that that thought filled him with a sense of gratitude, it also made him sad. How long had it been since Kaito had had people looking out for him?

More than anything at that moment, Shinichi wished that he could be there for Kaito forever like Kaito had said he would be there for him. But he knew that that was impossible, and his heart ached with the knowledge.

-0-

Kaito met the elder Kudos during his first Christmas with Shinichi. His parents were pretty much never around, or so Kaito had come to understand, but if there was one thing that would bring them running, it was the idea of throwing a party. A party for all their old friends—and for Shinichi, of course, so that they could meet this Kaito they had heard so much about.

Shinichi had asked and asked and begged his parents to try not to embarrass him, but he knew it would be a lost cause. So Christmas had come along with the Kudo parents, a boatload of their friends whom Shinichi had never met before, and Agasa, Shinichi's neighbor and sometimes confidant.

The event started out successfully enough. The food was good because Shinichi had made sure that his mother ordered out instead of cooking, and he had made sure that there were plenty of books and movies and party games lying around for guests to indulge in at their own leisure. With the guests able to entertain themselves, Shinichi was free to avoid them (well, as much as he was able to with his mother around).

"So this must be the Kaito we've heard so much about," Yukiko gushed as she looked Kaito up and down then giggled like a fourteen year old. "What a handsome young man. So tell me, Kuroba-kun, how did you two meet? Shin-chan won't tell me anything. It really isn't fair. I mean, I am his mother. Mothers deserve to know such things, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's true," Kaito agreed before launching into a dramatic and rather elaborate retelling of his and Shinichi's fateful first meeting—not a word of which was true. Then again, it was unlikely that she would have believed him if he had told her that he had rescued her son from kidnappers when the boy was only six.

The two continued to chatter away. By the end of the conversation, Kaito had thoroughly won over the former actress.

"I'm glad to see my little Shin-chan has such good tastes," she said to a blushing Shinichi as she gave him a crushing hug.

Kudo Yuusaku was slightly more reserved about his son's new friend. He quietly invited the magician to have coffee with him in the library as the party began to wind down. Shinichi watched the two go with a certain amount of anxiety. He'd never been good at reading his father, and he honestly had no idea how the man would react to Kaito. But he decided to take the soft smile his mother threw after the two as a good sign and waited.

He didn't see Kaito again until much later that night after all the guests had left and he was retiring for bed.

"You two were talking for a long time," Shinichi said, curious. "Is everything all right?"

"I think so," the magician replied, looking thoughtful.

"So…what did you talk about?"

"Books mostly. And current events."

Shinichi blinked. "Really?"

"Yep. I was expecting some kind of interrogation, to be honest, but he didn't ask me anything about my background or family life. Though we did spend some time discussing magic."

"Oh…"

"On the bright side, he didn't tell me to leave or anything."

"That's…good."

Chuckling, Kaito turned off the lights, lay down beside Shinichi and pulled the blanket over them both. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Shinichi certainly hoped so. While his parents weren't around much, he still didn't want to alienate them if he could help it.

"Hey Kaito," he said into the silence.

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me about your parents?"

A soft smile tugged at the corners of the magician's lips, invisible in the darkness. "Well, my father was a stage magician—the best of his time. My mother was…"

-0-

Having spent the majority of their Christmas holidays with the Kudos at their manor, Shinichi was more than ready to flee to Kaito's abode come New Year's Eve for some well deserved peace and quiet away from the peanut gallery. Kaito didn't mind the peanut gallery, especially since their presence made his already easily flustered Shin-chan ten times easier to tease. But he too was beginning to crave some alone time.

So they bid the two elder Kudos goodbye just as they were welcoming in another horde of guests for a New Year's party.

"But why won't you stay for the party?" Yukiko had asked, dismayed. "You can't leave now. You'll miss all the fun! And there are so many people who want to meet you both."

"Mom," Shinichi said, sounding equal parts exasperated and exhausted. "We already told you we'd be spending New Year's at Kaito's."

"But you liked the Christmas party. You told me so."

"It was…better than I thought it would be," the detective admitted. "But Kaito and I already had plants."

"Oh so that's how it is. Well, far be it from me to get in the way of any plans the two of you might have."

The way she pronounced the word "plans" made Shinichi blush bright red.

"Tha—that's not what I meant" he spluttered, but his mother wasn't listening.

She heaved an exaggerated sigh, clasping her hands in front of her bosom. "Oh to be newly in love. Well, go on then. If you're not going to welcome the guests and be a good host, you might as well get yourself out of the way. But make sure you come see us again before we have to head back to America. I won't forgive you if you forget!"

"…Yes, Mom."

The two young men (well, one young man and one immortal) spent a quiet evening having a private dinner for two at a small but classy restaurant whose owner nearly passed out at the sight of them (she was a huge fan of them both. But though she had been prepared to see Kaito, his name being the one on the reservation, she had never expected him to arrive with the Kudo Shinichi in tow). Afterward, they watched the New Year's fireworks from the roof of Kaito's apartment building before they retired indoors for hot chocolate, music, and a game of chess. It was the best New Year's either of them had had in years.

-0-

Quite unexpectedly, a snowstorm blew in early on the second. From the window of Kaito's apartment, the two watched as the entire city below grew steadily paler as every roof and street was covered in a growing layer of snow. Though it was freezing outside, inside, the air was warm. It was as though they were alone in a silent, wintry world.

Shinichi didn't mind the sense of isolation. Their usual lives were so hectic that the storm was providing a welcome respite.

By the time a week had passed with no sign that the storm was going to let up, however, Shinichi noticed Kaito beginning to grow restless. At first he chalked it up to the long confinement. Kaito was a naturally active person. Being trapped indoors for more than a week was bound to make him restless. But gradually, he realized that he was wrong, though it took him a few more days to figure out what it was.

By then, the entire city had been snowed in for nearly two weeks. It was starting to be a real problem. The streets were too clogged up with snow for anyone to go anywhere or do anything, and the daily operations of the city were being threatened. Tokyo didn't typically get so much snow. But while the government and local experts worked on the problem, most of the citizenry made do. Part of that making do involved food rationing.

Kaito had been eating less and less while consuming larger and larger quantities of hot chocolate. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.

"When did you last eat?" he asked bluntly, stepping in front of Kaito when the magician made to leave the kitchen with his seventh mug of hot chocolate that evening. "Properly, I mean."

Seeing the question for what it was, Kaito managed a smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

The fact that he could see that it was a slightly strained smile only made Shinichi more suspicious.

"Kai," he said slowly, not entirely sure how to say what he wanted to say in a way that Kaito would listen to. "You know that I… I mean, if you need it, I wouldn't mind if…" He gestured vaguely at himself.

Kaito looked pained, but he didn't outright object as Shinichi had half expected him to. Instead, he only said, "I'd rather it didn't come to that. Let's see how things stand in a day or two."

As fate would have it, however, very little changed. The snowstorm continued to howl, drowning the city in white.

Shinichi was standing in the kitchen the following evening, trying to decide what to make for dinner when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him back against Kaito's chest. He could feel the magician's warm breaths ghosting past his right ear, though Kaito didn't say anything. Curious, Shinichi waited a moment before speaking.

"Kaito?"

Silence.

"Is something wrong?"

Kaito sighed. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you up on that offer."

Shinichi felt a small twinge of nervousness but nodded, unsurprised. "So, um…" He fidgeted a moment then turned around in Kaito's embrace so that he could look the magician in the face. "What should I do?"

Kaito gave him a lopsided smile. "You don't have to do anything. This won't take very long. I don't need much."

"O—oh."

"It might help to close your eyes," Kaito suggested, leaning down to brush a tender kiss across Shinichi's lips. "I promise it won't hurt."

Shinichi swallowed and did as he'd been told, closing his eyes and trying to relax. He wasn't scared exactly. He knew Kaito wouldn't hurt him. But he'd be lying if he said there wasn't a part of him that found what they were about to do to be strange and more than a little awkward.

Kaito's lips ghosted down his neck, pausing at the junction between his neck and shoulder. Shinichi shivered a little at the sensation. Kaito seemed to be hesitating, and Shinichi realized belatedly that this was probably a first for Kaito too. The magician usually took blood only from people he had hypnotized—people who would never remember having even met him, let alone what happened next. It was quick and easy—completely impersonal.

Done like this, the act of feeding suddenly became a great deal more intimate. A warm blush crept up into Shinichi's face at the thought. Though why this should be embarrassing, he had no idea. After all, they had done much more intimate things then this already. It was probably the sheer weirdness of it.

"I'm ready," he said quietly just in case Kaito was waiting for his permission. He felt the arms around him tense for a fraction of a moment before they relaxed again and a wet tongue tickled the skin of his neck.

He felt two sharp pricks, but there wasn't any pain after that. What he did feel was a slight lightheadedness and a strange warmth that spread like lava through his body as time slowed. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have considered this to be most peculiar. After all, he should be feeling colder, not warmer. But his thoughts had turned fuzzy.

He found himself clinging to Kaito.

Unbeknownst to him, Kaito's mind was spinning into a similar haze.

It was fire and honey—intoxicating. One taste had Kaito's head spinning and his body beginning to thrum. He had experienced a tiny fraction of this sensation the first time he had bitten Shinichi. But this time, the sensation was overwhelmingly more intense. He became keenly aware of the contours of Shinichi's body where the detective was pressed up against him. Their bodies seemed to mold perfectly together. He could feel Shinichi's warmth—almost hear the rhythm of his heart beating.

He had been worried that he would end up making Shinichi uncomfortable around him. But the detective had relaxed completely. And again, he thanked whatever powers there were out there that he had met Shinichi. Even if they didn't have forever, every minute they did have was something he would treasure. He closed his eyes, trying to memorize everything about the young man in his arms from the shape and feel of his body to his scent to the sound of his breathing.

Holding Shinichi even closer, he ran his tongue over the small wounds his teeth had left, causing the bleeding to stop. When the puncture wounds had healed completely, Kaito trailed light kisses up Shinichi's neck and along his jaw before catching his lips in a fierce kiss. A different kind of hunger was burning in him now. It was a burgeoning roar inside his very being, consuming all thought.

Kaito didn't remember making the decision to move. He only knew that one moment he had been standing with Shinichi by the counter, and the next, he had Shinichi pinned to the wall, their mouths sealed together as their tongues danced a heated tango, sending sparks flying down every nerve in his body. The buttons from Shinichi's dress shirt flew across the room, one landing in Shinichi's empty coffee cup. Neither noticed as Kaito attacked Shinichi's exposed chest, his hands and mouth exploring every inch of sensitive skin. He worked his way down his detective's body, delighting in the little gasps and cries his touches were eliciting. He wanted more. In a matter of moments, he had stripped Shinichi of his pants and undergarments and shoved two fingers into the detective's tight heat.

Some distant corner of his mind whispered that he was going too fast, but Shinichi wasn't complaining. Quite the opposite. Shinichi was clutching at him, dragging him closer as he arched his body in a desperate desire to get even closer. The muscles wrapped around Kaito's fingers clenched in eager welcome.

Unable to resist the needy little mewls falling from Shinichi's lips and the eager way the detective's hips were moving, riding the fingers inside him, Kaito shucked his own pants and undergarments, freeing his erection.

Kaito's hands stroked Shinichi's thighs before he moved to lift Shinichi up against the wall so that he could move into position.

The detective's breath hitched as he felt the head of Kaito's length at his entrance. Then it was pressing inside him. He wrapped his legs around Kaito's waist, pushing the magician in deeper.

Shinichi moaned loudly, head lolling back against the wall. His lover's name tumbled from his lips in breathless gasps and cries as he relished in the pleasure of having Kaito inside him, filling him, thrusting and thrusting until the stimulation became too much and he tumbled over the edge of release as Kaito came inside him, filling him with his hot essence.

They sank to the ground together, both panting for breath, still lost in a haze of passion and contentment.

-0-

"You must decide."

Shinichi woke to a dark ceiling and an odd sensation like he had had a really strange but important dream that he had forgotten. He worried at the thought for a moment before dismissing it as a lost cause. Besides, dreams were just dreams. Then he realized that he couldn't hear the wind. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was utter silence outside.

He simply lay there for a long time, listening to the silence outside and the sound of Kaito's quiet breathing, feeling content.

He wasn't sure how long he lay there drifting in a half asleep haze, but he saw the shadows overhead thin as light began to seep through the blinds. He turned over to look towards the window, wincing a little as he suddenly became aware of how sore he was.

Now more awake, he events of the previous night came back to him, and he blushed. He remembered all too well the feel of Kaito's hot mouth on his, that demanding tongue invading his mouth as those skilled hands divested him of both his clothes and his senses.

He couldn't believe they'd done that in the kitchen. The mere thought made his blush darken. They had migrated to the bedroom after that, where they had continued their lovemaking well into the night.

"There will be no turning back."

"I understand."

"Then you have decided?"

He frowned. There was that feeling again. Like he was forgetting something.

"The storm's stopped."

At the sound of Kaito's voice, Shinichi turned around to find the magician watching him with a contented expression. He forgot about that nagging voice in his head then as he smiled.

"Good morning."

-0-

It was as winter was coming to an end that they first realized something was up.

Shinichi had, to Kaito's exasperated annoyance, run across a band of robbers disposing of a body in the woods. He had been in the woods because he, along with Ran, had been invited by Sonoko to join her and several of her teammates from the university tennis team for some fun and training at a mountain retreat for athletes. Sonoko had invited Kaito too, but the magician had had a show scheduled and so had had to pass on the offer. Shinichi had decided to go for a short hike that evening along with several of the other campers, but he had spied suspicious shadows in the woods and, being the incurably curious detective that he was, he had decided to take a peek.

To make a long and all too typically Shinichi story short, the robbers had been caught and their loot recovered along with the body of their victim, but Shinichi had gotten himself shot in the process (although Shinichi would like to point out that it wasn't his fault one of the robbers was crazy enough to take a potshot at the detective responsible for his capture right in front of the police instead of surrendering quietly like his fellows. No one had expected that). Thankfully, it hadn't been a life threatening wound. But it had landed him in the hospital.

Shinichi had just finished giving the police his full account of the events of that day when his hospital room door burst open. He thought for a split second it would be the police back again to check some detail or other with him, but instead it was Kaito.

"You said you'd be more careful!" the magician exclaimed the moment he was inside. "What happened?"

And so Shinichi had to tell the whole story again. When he had finished, he waited with bated breath as Kaito simply sat and stewed over what he'd heard Eventually, the magician sighed.

"Well, there's no point harping on it now, but next time, I expect you to stop and thinking before wandering alone into unpopulated places chasing shadows. If you don't start looking out for yourself, I'm going to have to take drastic measures."

He let Shinichi digest this piece of news before he let his serious face drop and adopted his customary smile. "I'm glad you're all right. So how long are you going to be stuck here?"

"Just one more day."

Kaito frowned. "What? But you were shot in the stomach. That's not the kind of injury that heals in just a few days."

"The doctors said I was recovering unusually quickly," Shinichi admitted, mirroring Kaito's frown. "They were pretty astounded too. Said they couldn't explain it. I guess I got lucky."

Kaito's smile fell. "That's…interesting. Do you feel anything unusual?"

"I don't think so. Why? What're you thinking?"

"How's your appetite been?"

Realizing what Kaito was getting at, Shinichi paled. "It's been normal."

"Oh." Kaito relaxed. "That's all right then."

"So I'm not…" Shinichi waved a hand at Kaito.

The magician shook his head. "It must be something else. Maybe you're right and you were just lucky." Indigo eyes narrowed suddenly as Kaito leveled his partner with a hard look. "Don't test it."

"I wouldn't do that," Shinichi said hastily. "I told you. I don't go looking for trouble. It just finds me."

He was right, of course, which was why it took them only two more weeks to confirm that Shinichi had somehow acquired greater healing abilities. Although this time they had made the discovery in a much less dramatic fashion. Shinichi had simply had several dark bruises that had come then gone in a matter of hours after an encounter with a murder case in a sports equipment store.

"So you got yourself hit by a golf club?"

"You make it sound like I intended it to happen," Shinichi grumbled but nodded. "Takagi-keiji told me to go put some ice on it after the culprit was arrested, so I came home and got some ice. But by then the bruise and the swelling was already gone."

Kaito drummed his fingers on the stage diagrams he had spread out across the dining table. To be entirely honest, he had mixed feelings about this…whatever it was that was going on with Shinichi. On the one hand, it meant that he could worry slightly less about Shinichi's trouble magnet tendencies. But on the other hand, this change had to be supernatural. Process of elimination suggested that that meant it was connected to Kaito somehow. And that made him uneasy. Despite having been cursed for so long, he really wasn't an expert on magic of the real variety. Who knew what terrible things might be lying in wait for them? He had seen too much of the world to believe that there wasn't a catch.

"If you're worried, we could try researching it," Shinichi offered. "You said this all started with that jewel your father was protecting. We could start with that."

"We didn't keep records about it. It was a family mission passed down through word of mouth."

"What about the people who tried to take it from you? They must have found information about it somewhere."

Kaito coughed lightly. "They did. But Dad and I sort of made sure their archives wouldn't be, ah, available to anyone else in the future."

"…"

"We thought it'd be for the best."

"So you don't know anyone who might know more."

Kaito opened his mouth to confirm that thought but paused. "Actually," he said slowly. "I might know someone."

"Great. Then we can start there." Shinichi rose to check on the pot pie in the oven. "Dinner's ready."

-0-

It was the first of April when Shinichi arrived at the restaurant where he was supposed to meet Kaito to find the magician sitting with a pretty, redheaded woman Shinichi had never seen before.

"This is Koizumi Akako," Kaito said. "She's a witch."

And since it was the first of April, Shinichi snorted and rolled his eyes. "Right. I'm sure she is. Sorry about him," he added, turning to the woman. "I'm Kudo Shinichi."

The redhead blinked slowly at him before she smiled. It was an amused little quirk of the lips. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. You are a detective, am I correct? I've read about you in the papers."

"I am," he agreed, ignoring the pout Kaito was aiming at him. "If you don't mind me asking, how did Kaito drag you into this?"

"Excuse me," Kaito exclaimed in indignation, his earlier pout morphing into a fierce scowl. But before he could say any more, he was cut off by Akako's laughter. The sound made him stop in mid exclamation and stare because, in all the years since he'd first met her (which was more years than Shinichi had been alive), he had never heard the redhead laugh in such a hearty manner. Akako was more of a little chuckles or wicked cackling kind of person—or at least he was as far as Kaito was concerned. Heartfelt laughter just wasn't her thing.

Shinichi was feeling just as confused as Kaito was if not for the same reasons as Akako nodded to him.

"Actually, Kudo-san, I am afraid you are mistaken," she said. "Though I am sure it must be difficult for a detective such as yourself to believe, I am in fact a witch. Kuroba-kun and I met several decades ago, though I am afraid he was not very receptive to my offers of friendship."

She cast Kaito a sidelong look to which the magician rolled his eyes.

Shinichi looked between the two, wondering what those telling looks were supposed to mean. But he supposed he'd never know unless one of the two decided to share. Wait a moment.

"Decades?" he echoed, looking between the two again. Of course he knew Kaito didn't look his age, but this young woman was no different. Neither looked a day over twenty one. And he suddenly found himself wondering just how many more people out there were actually supernatural beings from ages ago? His mind reeled at the possibilities. Just how much about the world he thought he knew was really, well, the way he thought it was? How could he continue to be a good detective if he didn't learn more about all this? Clearly, he had to start studying more. Diversify his knowledge and give some of those impossible things he had once dismissed a second look over just to make sure he was prepared if such things ever cropped up in a case.

"Yoohoo~, Earth to Shin-chan! Is anyone home?"

Coming out of his thoughts to find a hand waving in front of his face, Shinichi blushed and pushed said hand away. "I'm sorry. What was that?"

"I said I asked Miss Witch here to come and see if she knows anything about our little mystery," Kaito drawled, though he sounded amused. "Only it turns out she doesn't know anything either, so it was all pointless."

"Now, now, that is hardly fair" Akako said lightly. "I merely said that this situation is just as new to me as it is to you. However, given some time to observe, I am certain I will know more."

"You mean you're staying?" Kaito asked, not looking at all pleased (which Shinichi thought was rather rude for someone who was usually all polished, gentlemanly manners in public).

But Akako didn't seem the least bit offended. "You know, I expect payment for my services."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll pay for your hotel."

"Aww, I was rather hoping to stay at your place."

"Not even when hell freezes over."

The witch shrugged. "Suit yourself. I expect my own suite."

"Fine. But only for two weeks. If you don't know anything by then I'll assume you can't help us."

"Deal."

Later, when they were back at Kaito's place, Shinichi just had to say, "I think your friends are a lot weirder than mine."

He was rewarded with the most horrified expression he had ever seen on Kaito's face. "Koizumi is not my friend."

"You seem to be very familiar with each other for people who aren't friends."

"That's because she spent thirty years stalking me, trying to make me fall in love with her. She was a real headache for a while. I mean, I'd come home on the second night after moving into a new place to find a half naked witch in my bed. She's the kind of person who's not used to people saying no to her. I think she'd still be haunting me if she hadn't caught me on a bad day the last time she decided to magic herself into my apartment and nearly got herself ki—" Kaito cut himself off abruptly, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "Anyway, we're not really friends, but we do help each other out now and then."

Shinichi opened his mouth then shut it again. He wasn't entirely sure he'd wanted to know all that. He felt at once flabbergasted, embarrassed, and stunned. And maybe a tiny bit jealous too because, even if their relationship was rocky, Kaito and Akako had still known each other for a great deal longer than he and Kaito had been acquainted (and they would continue to know each other long after). And even if Kaito found her to be creepy, obnoxiously pushy and full of herself, he must see something redeemable in the woman if he was still in contact with her after all these years. It made Shinichi feel very young indeed—an outsider to a much greater tale.

But there was nothing he could do about that. Dwelling on it was pointless. It was more important to focus on the now, as he was sure Kaito would say.

That didn't stop him from feeling somewhat conflicted next time he saw the redhead. He had just finished a class presentation and been rewarding himself with a cup of the specialty coffee from that new high-end coffee shop that had only just opened next to campus when Akako invited herself to sit in the seat across from him. She had an air of elegance that made it difficult for him to imagine her being as…brash as Kaito had said she could be. Then again, you only had to look at her to understand how she might have gotten used to getting her way. She was definitely the kind of beauty people fell over themselves to please.

Realizing that didn't make Shinichi any more comfortable around her.

And she was still staring at him. She hadn't even said a word. No hello, no excuse me—not even an announcement that she was here.

Finally, he couldn't stand the silent staring anymore and cleared his throat. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, no." She waved a manicured hand. "I am merely studying your aura."

"…Oh."

"Tell me, have you had any strange dreams lately?"

A chill raced up Shinichi's spine. His entire attention was abruptly focused on the witch in front of him.

"What do you mean?"

"No need to be worried," she assured him, smiling her small, enigmatic smile. "I was simply curious. Our dreams can tell us a lot if we pay attention to them. And not all that we think of as dreams are dreams. The modern age being what it is, there are many times when the supernatural can only reach skeptical minds when they are asleep and their self imposed perceptions of reality blur."

Shinichi looked down at his coffee again, mulling it over. Eventually, he sighed.

"I don't really know."

"I only wish to help. It is what I came to do, after all."

"I…" Shinichi paused. He believed her, though he wasn't sure why. He had always had a knack for telling when people were being sincere though. "Thank you, but I mean it. I've…been having this feeling like I'm forgetting something for a while, but I don't know what it is."

"Do you know when this feeling started?"

He blushed. "U—um, around New Year's."

The knowing look Akako sent him only made him blush harder.

"Well, I do believe I understand what is going on now."

Shinichi's head jerked up. "You do?"

"I will need to speak to Kuroba again to be certain, but it is not so very complicated." Akako rose from her seat, flipping her deep crimson hair back over her shoulder. "I'll see you around then."

And, without bothering to offer whatever explanation she thought she had, she left. Shinichi sank back in his seat. Some people really were just strange.

-0-

"You really do love that boy, don't you?"

Kaito raised an eyebrow at the witch. "I do," he said matter-of-factly. "Don't tell me you called me out just to ask me that."

"Of course not," she sniffed. She waved at a waiter, who hurried over to take her order, nearly dropping his pen and pad when she smiled at him. Once he had gone, she placed her chin on her hand and gazed across the table at Kaito. "You asked me once if I knew why you were cursed."

He sighed. "I remember. And you said you didn't know."

"Indeed," she agreed. "Though I too was curious. I did a little research of my own and came across certain stories about a jewel with the power to save the world."

"The one I broke, yes."

"I believed you were cursed as punishment for your deeds."

Kaito shrugged. There was no point denying it. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"It does," she agreed. "But I think you were wrong."

Kaito leaned forward slightly, interested despite himself. "What do you mean?"

"It is merely a theory, but it seems unlikely to me that, if that jewel of yours truly had such great power, that it could be destroyed just like that. Rather, I believe you may have inherited a portion of that power when you destroyed its vessel."

"Inherited?"

"Well, taken responsibility for it may be a more accurate description. According to its legends, the magic in that jewel was always meant to be used by a human."

"Are you telling me that I'm now responsible for dealing with whatever future crisis the jewel's power was meant to deal with?"

"As I said, it is just a theory."

"You wouldn't be proposing it if you weren't reasonably sure," said Kaito.

Akako only smiled. "And so the powers that be made certain that you cut yourself off from all human contact."

"What about Shinichi?"

"I suppose you're being rewarded," Akako said archly.

Kaito blinked, honestly surprised. "What?"

"Heaven is not unkind to those who are true."

Kaito felt a jolt at her words. "Do you mean…" He started then stopped, hardly daring to hope. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? Maybe he was being hypocritical, but he really wished Akako would stop speaking in riddles for once and just be blunt.

Akako's expression softened. "He is the first person you have shared everything with, both the good and the bad. And despite everything, he trusts you. He has accepted everything that you are and given you his heart, knowing full well your differences and your inhuman nature as well as the consequences that may come of them." Ruby eyes grew distant. "You are fortunate. A person like that is a treasure to be cherished."

Indigo eyes grew serious. "I know."

They fell into a pensive silence that was eventually broken by the magician.

"I didn't mean for this to happen."

"But you wished for it."

Kaito grimaced, feeling an unfamiliar pang of guilt because it was true. He had wanted nothing more than to find a way to keep Shinichi with him. But he had never meant to do that to his detective. Forever was a lot longer than most people were capable of comprehending.

"I wouldn't dwell on it," Akako advised, mirth returning to her voice. "Such bonds must be forged from both ends. He made a choice, whether he is aware of it or not."

Kaito made a mental note to talk to Shinichi about all this later.

"Then again," Akako said just as she rose to leave after they had eaten. "Perhaps it is your little detective who is being rewarded. Pure souls are rare these days. More so those who are willing to go out of their way to try and push back the darkness. It seems he too has been given a great burden to bear. Or perhaps it was fate all along that brought the two of you together. Who knows? I can, however, tell you this. You both carry something special. The paths ahead of you both will not be easy."

-0-

Shinichi wasn't particularly surprised to hear about Akako's theories. Nor, Kaito was relieved to find, was he distressed by the suggestion that he might have gained some form of immortality. Although he didn't seem happy about it either, so maybe he simply hadn't fully digested what it all meant.

"Maybe," Shinichi conceded, gazing up at the night sky. The two of them were star gazing from the roof of the hotel where Kaito had just performed as part of the resort's grand opening. Lying side by side on a blanket, Kaito had conjured, they traced the constellations overhead. "But I think it's more that, well, we don't really know one way or the other. It's not like it's something we can test."

"Definitely not," Kaito said emphatically.

"So it's too early to worry about it one way or another too."

Kaito chuckled. "That's unusually philosophical of you. But you're right." His smile faded a little as he reached over to twine his fingers through Shinichi's. "I just don't want you to be upset. I never meant to drag you into my problems."

"I know," Shinichi said softly, giving Kaito's hand a squeeze. "I wouldn't be upset."

Sitting up, Kaito leaned over to look down into Shinichi's face, searching the depths of his sapphire eyes. "Are you sure?"

Shinichi met his gaze steadily. "As sure as I can be under the circumstances."

Kaito was silent for a moment. Then he leaned down to place a gentle, lingering kiss on Shinichi's lips.

"I promise," he whispered. "That I will make sure you never change your mind."

Though his words were barely audible, Shinichi heard every syllable, and he knew he would remember them forever—however long forever turned out to be.

Wrapping his arms around Kaito's neck, he pulled the magician down for a deeper kiss. Kaito was all too happy to comply.

There were still a lot of questions they didn't have answers for. And, if Akako was right, they both had great trials ahead, though when, where, and what those trials would be Kaito doubted even the witch could guess. None of it mattered though. At least not yet. For now, all that mattered was that they were here together. They could figure out the rest when it happened.


End file.
